Falling for Fish Face
by pokemon4597
Summary: When a routine bad guy beat-up ends with a..."bang"... Something's up with Speedy.  He's starting to see someone very differently...  Rated T just to be safe :
1. The Very Beginning

_Hey, readers of fanfiction! I just really LOVE this pairing so I just had to post this! I've been working on this for a while now…. And it's my first fanfiction, so please give me opinions!_

_DISCLAIMER: I own nothing (sadly). If I did, Teen Titans would never have been canceled when it was and Roy and Garth would have been a couple for several seasons._

If you had asked me just six months ago where I'd be now, no way would I have told you I'd be where I am. Not even close. When I walked out on Green Arrow, I didn't know where I was going and I didn't care. I just wanted to get away from that green-clad rich bastard. Treating me like a newbie anytime we'd take down even a mugger! Like I was some kid who hadn't been training with him since I was ten… And the way he'd yell at me if I made even a little mistake, as if he was some angel sent from the heavens. That's a laugh. Oliver Queen, playboy extraordinaire, an angel.

It wasn't easy though. Going solo. Money was tight. I saw the pavement up close a couple times too. It was different without someone to help me out. Someone… Looking out for me. So maybe I was hoping for the offer. From Bumblebee. To join Titans East, a new team she was starting up in Steel City. Though I tried to tell myself I was reluctant to leave the solo hero business when I was doing so well (yeah, right), I told Bee I'd meet her and the rest of the new team in Steel as soon as I could.

Things at the beginning were rough, to say the least. Bee turned out to be a bit of a queen, with the temper and attitude to match. And of course there were those two annoying twins, Mas and Menos. And perhaps worst of all was Aqualad, or as I liked to call him in my head "pretentious little prince of the sea who has no sense of humor or life". A little lengthy, I know, but I wasn't gonna spend time or effort on someone I disliked! The first few days of setup were absolute torture. The tower was in complete disarray. Supercomputer parts were lying everywhere, ceiling tiles were stacked on the floor, wires were hanging from the ceiling…and there was one annoying teen who wouldn't quit whining about fish tacos! I mean, he told me to get lunch, so I got lunch! What was he expecting, a five-star meal served with his wine of choice?

Cyborg was the piece that brought us all together, I think. With him around, the tower was set up in days, we took down our first piece of criminal scum as a team, and, well, the guy is just awesome! The disco ball he set up…come on! You just gotta admit that's cool.

Of course, Brother Blood did kinda hypnotize us into attacking him…. But it's all a blur. I can barely remember any of what happened until Cyborg took Blood down. And then he left, but not before reminding us that we already had a leader in Bee. Things slowly improved. Bee cooled down a little, Mas and Menos turned out to actually be pretty funny, and Aqualad wasn't quite as boring as I thought he was. Our teamwork improved, as did our relationships. Before long I started to think of them as my family. Bumblebee, Mas, Menos, Aqualad, and me, Speedy. One big, really weird family.

Flashing red lights and an excruciatingly loud siren interrupted my thoughts abruptly. "Speedy," said a panting Aqualad at my door. "Trouble."

I jumped off my bed and grabbed my quiver and bow hanging on the wall. I dashed out the room behind Aqualad. Bee was standing at the main computer, Mas and Menos on either side of her. I ran up behind her and quickly scanned the computer for clues of what we were up against. There were a few pictures of a man dressed like a mime in what looked like the city's largest bank. "What's going on?" I asked Bee.

"Some crackpot just broke into Steel Bank. I don't know how, and the live feed from the security camera is being blocked. I don't know what kinda powers this guys has…" at this, Bee wrapped her hands around the stingers on her belt, and continued, "But whatever he can dish out, he's no match for the Titans East."

It was times like these that Bee really shined as a leader. It was hard not be confident that we would win with her leading the charge.

We all piled into the car that Cyborg had helped us build all those months ago, and, with me at the wheel, sped towards downtown Steel City. When we arrived at Steel Bank, we saw that the two main glass doors, which were always closed on Saturdays, had been knocked completely off of their hinges and lay smashed on the floor of the lobby. Bee flew quickly into the room, stingers out, quickly followed by the rest of us. We looked around, ready for an attack, but there was no one there. The main vault, however, was wide open. We slowly crept towards the door, hoping to sneak up on whoever was in there.

We peeked around the door, and saw a mime shoveling jewels into a space above his other hand, which was curved around the air like he was holding a bag. The weird thing was, the jewels were floating right above his hand, like there _was_ a bag there! After the "bag" was full, he threw it into a pile of similar "bags", which were floating above the ground in a pile. The mime then proceeded to get behind the floating pile and wrapped his fingers around what looked like invisible sticks. He then walked, pushing the pile of jewels in front of him like they were inside a wheelbarrow.

"Not so fast!" Bee said, stingers pointing at the man. I pulled out an arrow and quickly aimed at the mime to emphasize the fact that he wasn't getting past us. The mime looked shocked for a moment, and then he smiled.

"Put your hands up! The police are on their way!" Bee shouted at the mime. He shook his head. "We gave you a chance!" I said, and shot my arrow. It would have delivered a completely non-lethal electric current though its target. If it had made contact, that is. But the Mime quickly moved his hands around him as if he was in a box. The arrow hit the air around him and ricocheted to the floor, useless. He then put down his hands and mimed a wall in front of him, which absorbed the stings that Bee sent his way. Aqualad ran towards him fist out, but he ran right into the invisible wall, and slumped to the ground from the force of the impact. If we hadn't been in the middle of fight, I would have laughed. I mean, how can you not see that's not going to work? Aqualad is some genius.

Mas and Menos clapped their hands together and began to run around the mime in circles, creating a small vortex that caused the mime to fly slowly into the air. I smiled, not seeing any way that he could get out of this. As he slowly rose higher, he began to move his hands as though he was holding a large ball. I cried, "Mas! Menos! Look out!" But the man (let's just call him The Mime, shall we?) launched the invisible ball from his hands too quickly for them to react to my words. The ground around the spot where the sphere should have landed shook and cracked violently. It was in the middle of Mas and Menos' path, so they were sent flying into a wall on the other side of the vault.

The Mime spread out like he was going to fall onto a mattress and, as you would expect after all of this, bounced more than a foot off the ground like he had. I shot one of my net-arrows at him, but he slashed at it with a sword-like motion, and it was ripped to shreds. Then, his stance changed, as if his weapon had grown bulkier, heavier.

I was through messing around. I ran up to him ready to throw a punch. He swung the invisible weapon like a sledgehammer, and held up my bow, hoping to block it. The force of the blow was incredible, but my bow is near-indestructible, so it was fine. My arms however, were almost numbed by the strength needed to block the strike, so I didn't notice that I was no longer being forced downwards by the invisible hammer-type thing. I did hear a whoosh of air, however, and quickly realized that The Mime was swinging to attack the other side. I dodged as best I could, judging by where I heard the sounds. I wasn't quite good enough; the end of the hammer hit my head. It wasn't a full on blow, but it hurt…_a lot_.

I reeled backwards, dazed. The world spun around me and I suddenly found myself on the ground. The dizziness subsided within a short while though, and I stood up to see Bee locked in combat with The Mime. She was continually firing stings at him, while he stood behind one of his invisible barriers and laughed at her silently. Why was she continuing to use such an ineffective tactic?

As Bee continued her barrage of stings, I heard a very loud noise that sounded like old metal bending. I looked around to see Aqualad, who had recovered from his face-meets-wall moment, standing at the back of the vault with his hands out and his face screwed up in concentration. He then let out a yell, and the floor was split by huge water pipes that rose into the room. Water erupted from them, a huge wave headed straight towards The Mime. He, for once, looked at a loss for what to do. He was washed away by the huge mass of water into the back of the vault.

Mime Guy slowly picked himself up off the floor. He then looked at his hands which, once covered in a fine layer of white mime makeup, were now a normal skin color. He screamed, his eyes nearly as wide as his mouth. "N-no….No! This can't be happening! My makeup! It's-it's washed off! No!"

He continued yelling about his makeup as Bee looked at me, eyebrows raised in confusion. I shrugged, as mystified as she was. The team walked nearer to Mime Guy as he began to cry. "So close…I was so close…To being so rich…." He sobbed, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. This was the guy that had given us so much trouble mere moments ago?

Mas and Menos cried together "Aha!" They then rushed over to Aqualad and began explaining something in rapid-fire Spanish to him. He was good with languages, so he had taken a few classes to improve team communications. Aqualad walked over with the twins to Bee and I, saying "The twins think that the makeup was some type of chemical that gave him his powers. That or something about gelatin taking over the city. I'm going with the first one."

"Who would just give him something that powerful?" I asked.

"Give me? GIVE ME? I paid a small fortune for that stuff! All my savings!" Mime Guy shouted in our direction.

I walked over to him and picked him up by his collar. I think I was pretty intimidating. "Where did you get something like that? Chemical supplier? Who?" I asked him, my voice low and threatening.

"Chemical? No chemical! It's mystical. There's a lady who sets up shop in big cities and sells mystical artifacts, and believe me, she's not cheap." Mime Guy said.

"You expect us to believe it was magic? _Magic_? You can't come up with anything better than that?" Aqualad said, hoping to provoke Mime Guy into giving us something a little more believable.

"You stupid kids! You messed everything up! I don't care if you believe me or not!" Mime Guy practically spat at us.

We all turned around at that moment at the sound of heavy boots running into the vault. The police had arrived.

"We'll take it from here. Thanks so much for all of your help, Titans," the officer in front said. That's how it always turned out didn't it? The cops always show up just in time…to congratulate us for doing all the work.

"Come on," I said, "You're gonna be able to spend the next twenty to thirty years miming. No one's gonna listen to a word you say, so you might as well be silent," I said to Mime Guy, dragging him towards the police.

"Oh, I'll go alright… But not without a little parting gift!" Mime Guy replied, a simile playing across his lips. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small purple orb. He threw it at me and it shattered against my chest,releasing violet gas that burned my whole body when I inhaled. I let go of Mime Guy and vaguely made out an image of the police apprehending him while he laughed. Things started going black, and I could hear Mime Guy's voice saying:

"_You took everything from me_

_You took my right to wander free_

_All the words I say are true_

_Here's is my final "gift" to you_

_A curse, a blessing, all the same_

_You'll still have to play my game_

_So like hand fits into glove_

_The next you touch will be the next you love"_

Everything was fading. I barely registered the fact that I had collapsed to the ground. Barely felt two strong arms lifting me up. Then everything was gone.

_Don't forget to review! I'll put up another chapter that I want to edit based on feedback, though if no one reviews (though that would be sad indeed), I'll still put it up! I always hate it when people demand reviews for chappies! Thanks for reading!_


	2. Changes

_Hello everybody! Say hello to Chapter 2! I've yet to get any reviews, but it's been up for like, one day, so maybe that's to be expected. I just really wanted to keep updates flowing semi-regularly! _

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own Teen Titans! I would be the happiest cow in the barn if I did!_

"_Wake up." _The voice was definitely male, and sounded patient and gentle. It was less of a command and more of a suggestion. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder shake me softly.

I groaned and turned in my sleep. I was sure that it was Aqualad. I knew his voice. What did he want so early in the morning? Why would he want to make me leave my nice, warm bed?

"Wake up Speedy. Are you OK? Wake up!" His voice was getting a little less patient now.

"What do you want? It's like six o'clock in the morning, isn't it?" I asked grumpily. The room was still dark, though that may have been because the blinds were closed. I looked up from my pillow in the direction of the voice and sure enough, the dark-haired Atlantean was sitting there on my bed, arms crossed. I guess I had a serious case of bedhead or something, because Aqualad's face went from mildly annoyed to a huge grin in like two seconds.

He quickly regained his composure and said, "Six in the morning? Try about four in the afternoon. Bee wanted me to get you up. If you were still too weak, she wanted me to bring you to the infirmary. But you can move, so I'm getting you up. Literally if necessary." When I turned back towards my pillow he picked me up easily and threw me over his shoulder (Atlanteans are just a wee bit stronger than us humans you see) and despite me playfully banging my fists on his back, he just chuckled and continued to walk downstairs towards the kitchen of Titans Tower East. I eventually sighed and accepted my wake-up call.

He dropped me in a seat in said kitchen, and I grumbled, "You could have at least let me change…" I was sitting on a chair in nothing but a pair of red sweatpants.

"What, and deny me this awesome view?" Aqualad said, laughing and gesturing to me. He pretended to ogle my, admittedly sexy, bare torso.

As Aqualad and I talked, mostly about my overwhelming sexiness (not really) Bee flew into the room, humming, until she saw me and zoomed over. "Speedy, what have you been doing? You can't oversleep like that, we thought you were really hurt!" Bee said, waving her arms about, looking a bit crazy. Bee had a habit of getting upset over the most ridiculous things, which sometimes resulted in things getting a little heated between us. The black and yellow clad teen seemed to be a little cooler this morning, and smiled. "What did the stuff that creepy mime dude threw at you do? We checked for any chemical effects, but you were clean. We expected you up hours ago. Maybe you were just too busy dreaming about girls you'll never have?" Bee walked away to do a little work on the computer, snickering as she did.

I felt my cheeks burning as Aqualad and Bumblebee laughed. I tried to ignore her comment and busied myself with my hair (I know, I seem shallow, but it's just something I do when I want to distract myself). I fixed my hair so that it was absolutely perfect, and grinned at my reflection in the counter mirror. I was pretty hot. While I was checking myself out, a jet of water slammed into my face. My hair was now sopping wet and dripping. I glared in the direction of a giggling Aqualad, who, as I expected, was leaning by the sink and had obviously just used his powers to ruin my hair.

"I just had it perfect, Fish Face!" I said, the would-be insult coming off as more of a nickname. I tried to feign a scowl, but I'm sure my real feelings were pretty easy to read. I wasn't really angry. Aqualad always did stupid things to me like that, and I guess you could say I reciprocated in full. There was that one time I switched his body wash for that rotten fish oil. I smiled, remembering how everyone in the tower, who I had let in on it, kept telling him he stank like a fish. He went crazy, thinking he had a permanent odor problem, until I told him, nearly busting a gut in the process.

"I was just helping you wash it! I'm surprised you don't take better care of your hair! Especially since you're always playing with it," Aqualad was grinning as he said this, his deep violet eyes twinkling.

Aqualad leaned on the counter, facing me, and wearing a white apron that Bee had bought him. He was sort of the only one on the team who could cook, and resultantly, he had had a few messy experiences involving a lot of red, very staining tomato sauce and his clothes. Today the clothes in question were his uniform, which was kind of like a wetsuit that was blue with black bands at the ends by his limbs. The suit was almost skintight and showed off his abs and his well-defined pecs quite nicely. _Wait, what? _

"So, what can I get you Speedy? I know it's kinda late, but you must be hungry, right?" Aqualad gave me an inviting smile. Aqualad might poke fun at me once in a while, but I knew he really cared. I'm happy to call him my best friend.

"Thanks so much dude, I'm starved actually! Do we have any eggs?"

"Of course we do! I know how you like 'em, don't worry," he told me, already getting four eggs out of the fridge.

"Well, make it snappy Fish Boy," I said, the laughter clear in my voice.

"Hey, you wanna cook, _your Highness_?" he asked, a grin across his face. He really was a great cook, and an awesome teammate with really nice muscles and beautiful eyes that always seemed to sparkle with life and love whenever he looked in my direction- Huh? _What did I just think? Maybe I'm still out of it. The Mime did hit me in the head pretty hard yesterday._ I shook my head and focused on my hair again, trying to make these strange thoughts disappear along with my bedhead. What was going on with me?

At that moment, Bee grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down next to me.

"Where are Mas and Menos?" I asked to the room at large. The lack of freakishly high-speed Spanish flying around the room was immediately apparent.

"They're with Starfire. They practically begged her to take them out. They even tried to serenade her!" Bee told me, a smile playing across her face at the thought.

"Somebody needs to tell those kids that she's a little old for them. What are they, like twelve? And does Starfire even speak Spanish?" I said, snickering at the ridiculousness of their hopes. Starfire had been into Robin for how long?

"Well, you know those two have had eyes for Starfire for a while. Maybe they're hoping that she'll give them one of her famous Tamaranian kisses to understand their assuredly scintillating twelve-year old conversation. But speaking of crushes, I haven't heard anything about your love life lately. Any girls in your life at the moment?" Bee said, a devilish gleam in her eyes.

I blushed for the second time that morning about precisely the same topic. "Ummmm… well…. I….." I answered nervously, playing with my orange-red hair, a shade my face was threatening to reach soon.

Both Bumblebee and Aqualad, who had turned around and leaned on the counter again to join the conversation, laughed animatedly. They shared a look, looked back at me, and then they laughed even harder. While it was true I hadn't had a girlfriend in a while, I was still in the game. Someone as hot as me just can't be kept down by a few sour apples (girls).

"What's the matter, all the girls in town shoot you down… again?" asked a still laughing Aqualad.

"Who says I'm even looking for girls?" I huffed, my cheeks growing even redder, if that were possible.

"Oh, I get it Speedy. You've decided to bat for the other team!" said Bee, wiping a tear of laughter from her eye.

That was just taking it too far. No way was I GAY! "You know that's not what I meant Bee. No way would I ever do something so weird….and just ….disgusting! I am not a freaking QUEER!" I told Bumblebee forcefully, my every word making it perfectly clear that I did not want to be in any way associated with _that_ crowd.

Her smile faded instantly, and for some reason, her gaze flew immediately to Aqualad. Before I could ask her what was wrong, Aqualad's apron had flown forcefully into my face, covering my head. As soon as I pulled the thing off, I saw Aqualad marching angrily from the room, leaving my eggs to fend for themselves.

"What's his problem?" I asked Bee, really confused. "All I said was that I'm not-"

Before I could finish my question, I received a slap in the face. Not a little love tap either. This was a full on slap that makes a nice solid "WHAP". I rubbed the place where she had struck as the stinging died down. Man, that girl had an arm! "What was that for, geez!" I asked her, a little irritated, now even more confused. What was this, "Let's Hit Speedy Day"?

"You really are an idiot, aren't you Speedy! It's a good thing you have nice hair because there's absolutely nothing underneath it all! Speedy, Aqualad is gay!" she shouted, her face full of righteous fury. Her eyes were narrowed and her hands were placed firmly on her hips, with her normally smiling mouth now carrying an angry scowl. She looked as though she wanted to slap me again, but instead, she face palmed and sighed.

"WHAT! Aqualad is a freaking HOMO! Since when? How? Why didn't you tell me? I mean…wow….. Oh crap… I just said all that stuff about gay people! He's gonna have to hate me now! I mean I'm not sure I care, since I probably won't be around him much now that I know he's-" For the second time in less than a minute, Bee interrupted me. Thankfully, this time my face didn't carry a painful mark as a result, though, admittedly, Bumblebee looked tempted.

"OH NO! I'm NOT having one of my team turn into a homophobe! Aqualad is your best friend and absolutely nothing has changed between you two," Bee said. Her eyes were full of emotion. I could practically see a "fire of righteousness" burning in her blue irises.

As I tried hard to absorb everything that had happened in the last few minutes, I felt my legs begin to wobble and my head begin to spin a little. I sat down on the couch, hoping to ease the discomfort. First the Mime basically kicks my butt, then pulls a sneaky gas attack move on me, and now, my best friend is gay? This was all too much. I put my head in my hands and tried to mull it all over. Bee sat down next to me, and said, her voice softer and kinder now, "Aqualad didn't want me to tell you. He was afraid that you would react well, like this. I told him he had nothing to worry about, that you would stick by him no matter what-"

"But, he's…that's just so…" I tried to explain how I was feeling, but the words just didn't want to come out.

"Oh shut up! He's the same person he's always been. I don't know if he sees in the same light now though… But he was actually going to tell you today. Ironic, huh? I'm leaving tonight to go shopping for a few hours, and Starfire is taking Mas and Menos back to Titans Tower West to spend the night. He was going to tell you over dinner." My leader sighed again, and I felt racked with guilt. "I just don't want him to think I'm a liar. I mean I told him that you would be fine with it. I know how much your friendship means to him. But then you start gay-bashing and… he must really hate both of us right now," Bee continued, rubbing her temples. It had been a long time since I'd seen her so agitated.

What had I done? I mean sure, I had had no idea he was gay, but I'm sure that I must've sounded really homophobic. I mean…. I don't have a problem with gay guys….I think…. They just… why would anyone want to do that? Be with another guy? It's just so gross! Maybe I really am homophobic….. Does that make me a bad person?

"Bee, I'm not sure how I feel about..you know… I just… can't understand why anyone would…" I tried to explain how I felt, but the words just wouldn't come out right.

She glared at me and seemed to be a little ticked off by my words. "I see, Speedy. Now, let me ask you this. In a world where people can be shot on the street because of who they love, and have fundamental rights taken away from them, who would choose to be gay? You think it's just a choice they make somewhere along the course of their life? 'You know, Mom, I think I'm gonna be gay when I grow up. Sounds like a neat career option!'"

"Well… it is, isn't it kinda like that?" I asked, a little confused.

"NO it's not a choice! Are you an idiot? We love who we love. We can't choose who." Bee's voice was slightly raised and a lot more than slightly heated as she said this.

I turned my face away from her, a little embarrassed. I guess I haven't actually met a gay person before…. Except, I supposed, I had gotten to know Aqualad pretty well. Or really well. And he wasn't girly (well, he liked some chick-flicks, but I do my thing with the hair so it's OK). He didn't go shopping to hawk for guys. He had never tried to make a move on me. "I think…. I think you're right Bee,"

"Of course I'm right! Listen. Obviously Aqualad trusts you enough to tell you. Or trusted, that is. Now, come on Speedy, go find Aqualad and fix this!" Bee smiled as I got up and quickly left the room, looking for Aqualad.

I went to his room, but there was no one there. I searched everywhere, but there was no sign of Aqualad. I was freaking out, my heart pounding in my chest as thoughts of Aqualad leaving the team or just jumping back into the ocean flew through my head. I continued searching, but with similar results. That is, until I checked the pool. Duh, I thought. He was sitting by the edge of the pool, his legs in the water, looking miserable. His head was in his hands while he leaned over on his knees. He was trembling slightly. And I had done that to him.

My stomach crawled with guilt. I felt terrible. What had I done to my best friend?

As I walked into the room, he turned around and glared at me. Fire burned in his normally cool eyes, and I flinched at the sight.

"What do you want, Speedy?" he asked. The words came out harshly and were painful to hear. His normally laughing face was full of anger and… what looked horribly like sadness.

"Aqualad, I'm really sorry. If I had known…" I started to say.

"Shut up! Speedy just shut up! Bee forced you to come talk to me right? So the team wouldn't fall apart? So you wouldn't have a hard time with your _disgusting_ teammate?" Aqualad spoke bitterly, and loudly. Underneath the anger however, I could hear the misery in his every word.

"No Aqualad! Bee didn't make me. She just told me the whole story. I came here of my own vilution," I said.

"Volition," he said quietly. I looked at him, confused.

"What?" I asked.

"Volition. You came here of your own volition. Vilution isn't a word," His voice had lost most of the anger, and now just seemed completely miserable and languid, lacking all the energy and spirit you could usually hear in every syllable.

"Aqualad, I'm so sorry for what I said. I… I… hadn't ever thought about gay people as more than a thing that would never exist close to me. And you are very close to me, Aqualad. You're my best friend, and I don't want to lose that over something like this. Who cares if you like guys? All I know is that I like you, and I don't want to lose that…" I had to stop speaking, because at that moment I was caught in a crushing embrace, which made it just a little hard to breathe, let alone talk.

Aqualad was crying into my bare chest with his hands wrapped around my back, shaking as he did so. His pain was obvious, and heart wrenching. Still, I didn't feel quite myself with him so close to me. A little too close for comfort. Which was odd. We'd hugged before. Was I really that homophobic… ? No… I didn't think so… It was something else. Anyway, I tried to get over my discomfort and be there for Aqualad.

"Speedy, I'm sorry. I feel like it's my fault. If I wasn't…this way… we could have a normal friendship. I could be a normal…person..." he cried, his breath coming out in ragged gasps.

"No, Aqualad, I'm sorry. Don't you ever blame yourself. I am so sorry I hurt you like this. I promise I'll never let it happen again," I assured him. I was almost crying myself. How could he ever think that something like this was his fault? Even I, at my most idiotic, never thought it was his _fault_. I just wasn't comfortable with it.

Aqualad was sobbing too hard to reply, but I could feel him nodding his head into my chest.

After a few minutes, Aqualad calmed down, but I didn't let go. There was something…about him being so close to me that felt…different. Not bad different… Just different… I actually kinda liked it. He didn't pull away either. We sat there like that for a while.

It was after about five minutes in this position I realized exactly what we were doing. I had to force myself to stop. I pulled him up and put my hands on his shoulders. I thought I saw a flash of hurt and disappointment in his eyes, but I must have been mistaken because before I could even ask him if he was OK he had thrown me into the pool, headfirst. He laughed and said "That's what you get! Jerk!"

He was not going to ruin my hair (again) and get off scot-free. I laughed wildly and pulled him in with me. Of course, being Atlantean, he didn't really mind. I laughed as he sent a huge splash my way. This was the kind of relationship I wanted with Aqualad. This…and…only this…right?

_So what'd you think? I'm kinda on the fence about this chapter…. If I get feedback, I wouldn't be adverse to re-posting it with edits. Thanks for reading!_


	3. Too Much, Too Fast

_Hello! I like the feeling of keeping a story updated pretty regularly! I just have to give a shout-out to my first reviewer __**WolfBloodBaptism**_! _Thanks so much for your comment! (Obviously) They're one of my favorite couples too! Hope you like this chapter! _

_DISCLAIMER: Teen Titans is not mine. As should be assumed by anyone who has even a drop of common sense. I dearly wish it were mine, though!_

Boring. Stupid. _REALLY_ stupid…. Why is there never anything to watch on TV when you actually want to watch it? I continued flicking through channels on the sofa, until a light tap on the back of my head made me turn around.

"So….. How'd it go….?" Bee asked me, standing behind the couch and positively bursting with curiosity. She was obviously rather interested in how my talk with Aqualad had gone. That could be the understatement of the year. Bee's hands were clasped in front of her chest, she was biting her lip, and she looked excited, nervous, happy, agitated, and hopeful all at once. I don't she pulled that look off, but she did.

I didn't answer immediately, quickly trying to figure out the right words for what had happened. Obviously, I wasn't fast enough for Bee, because the next second her blue-eyes were inches away from mine, wider than I had ever seen them, and she practically screamed, "Well?"

"OK, OK Bee, calm down…." I said, pulling my face back a little. "Honestly….things went great!" At this, Bee positively shrieked at a pitch so high my ears hurt. She pulled me into a massive hug, shaking me back and forth rapidly with excitement. This was decidedly out of character for her, but I guess you've gotta let loose sometimes. "Oh….I just knew things would work out! I'm so happy for you guys! I had all these awful thoughts of you two never making up and Aqualad or you leaving and then we'd never see you again and life would never be the same and then Titans West would think I'm not fit to lead if I can't keep my own team together, which I obviously can't if that were to happen-" Bee paused at that moment to draw breath, but before she could continue to ramble at a speed that would have impressed the Flash, I put a finger to her mouth.

"Bee, Bee….chill…. and stop, you're making me dizzy!" I told her, smiling. She released me from her scary-crazy-hug and jumped over the back of the couch to sit next to me. She was positively beaming with happiness, and asked "So you guys are completely normal again? Nothing weird or awkward?"

I hesitated, the memory of my previous less than normal thoughts about Aqualad flying through my head. I wondered if I should tell Bee. No…no…those thoughts were nothing. "Yup, everything is completely normal!" I flashed Bee one of my most charming trademark "Speedy-smiles" to further convince her.

Apparently however, it hadn't been necessary, because Bee had already begun to fly out of the room. "Oh, that's so great! I almost thought I would have to cancel my shopping trip!"

I chuckled to myself. Typical Bee. "Bee?" I called.

"Ya?" she called back. She flew back to the couch quickly, her eyes curious and a bit apprehensive. They widened in surprise when I pulled her into a hug. A real, sincere hug (a treat I rarely give out). After her initial shock, she hugged me back.

"Thanks, Bee. Just….thanks." I said, really meaning the words. She saved our friendship. Probably our team too.

"You're welcome, Speedy. I'd hate to see anything happen to my favorite boys."

I pulled out the hug and said, "Have fun on your shopping trip!"

"I will! God knows I need a break from the drama around here…" she said, mumbling the last part to herself, though I still caught it. I smiled and waved as she left.

As soon as Bee left the room, my smile turned into a frown as I sat back on the couch, not even looking at the TV anymore. What exactly was happening with Aqualad? After I pulled him into the pool, I couldn't stop staring at his abs, which were plainly visible through his almost skintight wetsuit. Even more embarrassingly, I couldn't tear my eyes away from his butt as he got out of the pool. The way it flexed as he walked…. God, I've got to stop thinking like this! I'm not gay for him! Or anyone! I shook my head, trying to forget Aqualad and his perfectly sculpted body (oh God) for a few seconds.

"Hey, Speedy!" _Oh no._ I would know the voice anywhere. The velvety, perfectly smooth voice that only came from one person. One person I was not in a state to see at the moment.

Aqualad walked around the couch to sit next to me. "Did I hear Bee leave?" He asked, laying his arm on the back of the couch behind me, relaxing.

"Oh..uh..yeah. She went…umm…shopping," My face reddened as I spoke. I was very conscious of the arm that was mere centimeters from touching my back. I found it hard to look at him, and so I took a chance and tried to preoccupy myself with whatever was on TV, hoping it was interesting. It certainly was….a commercial for a Febreze cleaning product. Vastly engrossing, of course. The perfect excuse for the intense look I was now giving the TV.

"Speedy, are you OK?" Aqualad asked, looking a little bit worried.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine," I lied, moving myself a little farther away from him, still not looking in his direction.

"So….what are we watching?" He asked.

"Umm…I don't really know….." God, what kind of answer was that?

"OK, genius. Maybe you could hand me the remote, and, you know, I could find something?" Aqualad said, smirking at me.

"Oh! Oh, sure…" I moved to hand him the remote, and shiver ran down my spine when his fingers touched mine. I pulled my hand away as if I had received an electric shock, unused to the strange (though not unpleasant) sensation.

Aqualad looked puzzled. "Speedy? What's wrong?"

"I just told you, I'm-"

"Speedy, I know something's up," he said, cutting me off. "You said things wouldn't change between us…I believed you too…" He said, his eyes leaving my face and traveling to the floor.

"Aqualad! No, it's not that at all! I just, feel a little off today. First, I sleep all day and now I just don't feel one-hundred percent," I said to him, trying to reassure him. Oh God, I've got to stop this. I can't let Aqualad think _that's _why I'm acting weird. _I_ don't even know why I'm acting weird!

"Wait, you're feeling sick? From the stuff that guy threw at you? I thought the scans were all clear…" Aqualad said quickly, sounding worried. He moved closer to feel my forehead. I shivered again when he touched me. "You don't have a fever, but you just shook a little. Are you sure you're OK?" His eyes were full of concern.

I looked away from him again, feeling nervous once more. I tried to change the topic. "Yeah, I'm fine. So, what time is it, like eight? Wanna watch a movie?" I asked. Maybe a good movie could distract me. I sure hoped so, my head was so full of thoughts I could hardly concentrate on anything. And a few too many of those thoughts involved a certain dark-haired Atlantean who happened to be incredibly h— Stop it! Bad Speedy!

"Sounds awesome! I'll make the popcorn!" He said happily, getting up to make some.

"Could we have it with—"

"I know Speedy, I know. Tons of butter but just a pinch of salt. Coming right up!" He told me from the kitchen.

He knew so much about me. I realize that while knowing what kind of popcorn I like isn't exactly groundbreaking, it made me think about how close Aqualad and I really were. Then why was this weird crush thing showing up now? _Oh no, I did not just admit that to myself. I do not have a crush on Aqualad. _I'm just _appreciating _his body. And his personality. Because friends do that all the time, right? I barely stifled an audible groan.

"Speedy? Wanna start finding us something to watch? Or should I leave you to your obviously deep thoughts?" Aqualad asked jokingly, as he waited for the popcorn.

I quickly started rifling through the Titans East DVD collection. I listed titles, hoping for a response from Aqualad, because I was too brain dead to pick anything. "We've got _Attack of the Zombies 2_, _It Came from Jones Lake, Wicked Scary 4…_"

"How about Wicked Scary? I've heard from Cyborg and BB it's awesome!" Aqualad suggested.

I nodded and inserted the DVD into the player, as Aqualad walked over with a huge bowl of popcorn. He placed it between us on the couch. He immediately began munching on it.

While the DVD started up, I tried to lighten the mood by making a joke. "So…Aqualad. I saw you getting pretty friendly with Beast Boy when he was here last. You got a thing for him, then?" I raised my eyebrow teasingly and smirked as Aqualad went slightly red.

"Pl-please… I was tickling him… He's like a little brother to me…. I can't even think of him like that…. Besides, he got me soaked with soda. After I told him to be careful. And it was the really sticky kind too. I was just… I had to teach him a lesson," Aqualad stuttered, obviously disconcerted.

"By tickling him? Couldn't think of a less flirty way?" I teased, with a well-placed smirk.

"It's actually a surprisingly effective method of… dealing with people….like red-headed archers who can't seem to keep their mouths shut. So, Speedy, tell me, are you ticklish?" Aqualad said, smiling deviously.

"As if…" I said, hoping he'd believe the bluff. Nobody knows this, but I'm _super ticklish. _My feet kill me. I moved them slightly, thinking of how much I'd hate for him to find out. They were still bare.

He must have seen the movement, because he immediately began tickling my feet.

I couldn't control myself for even a second. I started laughing at once, trying to jerk my feet away from a devilishly grinning Aqualad. His grip was iron-strong however, and I could not escape. He continued to tickle me, laughing too and saying, sarcastically, "Oh yeah, Speedy, you're _so _not ticklish. Thanks for telling me."

"Aqualad…HAHAHAHAHA…. STOP….PLE-HAHAHA!" I begged. I didn't really mind, we did stupid stuff like this all the time. It felt good to do stuff like this again. I did manage to sit up and attempt to tickle him, hoping to win the "tickle-war". Hey, my competitive streak stretches very far. No way was I gonna lose without a fight.

The moment my fingers dug into his sides, he started screaming with laughter and squirming like mad, but seemed determined to tickle me even more fiercely. We continued this impromptu tickle fight, neither of us relenting but both of us thrashing around wildly until I was all but lying on top of him. At this moment I blushed crimson and immediately rolled off of him.

Both of us breathless from laughter, we moved back to our previous positions.

"Your feet, huh? Good to know…" Aqualad said, his eyes twinkling and a grin on his face.

I smiled back and said, "If you ever do that again, I will murder you. I thought I was going to die!" I panted as I spoke. It took a few seconds to realize our fun had caused the popcorn to spill all over the floor. I groaned. Bee was gonna kill us when she came home. Or make us clean it up. I didn't know which would be worse.

"No problem! I'll just go make some more! We can clean this up later," said Aqualad. He got up to make some more popcorn. "But for the last time, there's nothing going on between me and BB," Aqualad declared., obviously hoping to close the conversation.

"OK, OK. Cyborg, then? You two did go to the Atlantic together…for almost three days…" I said, looking over my shoulder and smirking. Maybe it was a little early to start teasing him about guys, but he had gone through lists of girls before, and even started naming all the girls he could remember who had turned me down. Many of which had turned me down Now THAT was embarrassing.

Aqualad sighed, and replied "We were testing out the T-Sub in high-pressure environments. The whole team knows that! But then Trident attacked us and things got a little delayed."

"Uh-huh. So tell me Aqualad, did you two cuddle in the pod of the T-Sub on those cold ocean nights?" I asked, sniggering.

"Speedy!" Aqualad said, blushing. "I could never think about him like that either. If Beast Boy is like a little brother, then Cyborg is like my older one. The only one on Titans West I could even consider that way is Robin, but—"

"Oh! So you've got the hots for Robin, then! Why didn't you just say so? I mean the whole "man of mystery" thing must be very attractive to you. And he is very athletic…" I said, watching as Aqualad grew more and more flustered. Oh yes, revenge was sweet indeed.

"Speedy! I don't like Robin!" Aqualad yelled, waving his arms to emphasize the point. His face was so red he looked like a tomato dressed in a blue wetsuit.

"The fact that you're getting so embarrassed about it only further breaks down your case…" I said, off-handedly. I watched as Aqualad opened his mouth to say something, but he was so frustrated that nothing would come out. I was laughing myself silly on the sofa.

Aqualad walked over with the popcorn, still trying to come back with something that would shut me up. "Speedy! Ugh! I don't like Robin! You're just… just…."

Oh, I had really got him bad. He could barely speak! Time to wrap it up. "Aqualad, calm down. I was only joking, buddy," I said, looking into his eyes, smiling. He let out a deep breath and seemed to calm down. "Whatever, you jerk. Just start the movie," he said, his usual grin returning.

I laughed, then picked up the remote and pressed play.

Wicked Scary 1 had been mildly frightening. Wicked Scary 2 was quite a bit more so. Wicked Scary 3 had lived up to its name. But Wicked Scary 4 was _absolutely terrifying._ During the film, Aqualad and I had moved much closer together without even noticing it, so much so that our shoulders and legs were touching. When the credits finally rolled, we were both shivering with fear.

"That was the scariest thing I have ever seen… I loved it!" Aqualad said.

"Really….you thought it was scary?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him teasingly.

"Ummm…duh it was scary! Don't even pretend that you weren't scared either. I felt your hand on my shoulder during the scene with the girl in the basement," Aqualad answered, shooting down my little "ego-boost of the day".

"Fine, it was a little scary…" I grumbled.

"_A little?_ Do I have to tickleagain to make you tell the truth?" Aqualad mock-threatened, grinning.

I quickly moved my feet away from where his hands could reach them and said hurriedly "OK, OK! No need for that! It was pretty scary…" I sat there for a little bit, thinking.

"Umm…Speedy…..? Earth to Speedy? Is anyone home?" Aqualad asked, a little bemused. He waved his hand in front of my face, startling me slightly.

"Oh, what? Oh, sorry… I just zoned out for a second…" I said, a little distracted still. I tried to smile, but it felt like more of a grimace.

Aqualad wasn't convinced. He changed his position so that his body faced me. "Look, are you sure everything's OK? I mean… with us? There are times where I feel like everything's great…. But then you just… stop talking…." He said, sounding a little confused and sad.

I looked at a spot over Aqualad's head and said, "Of course everything's fine! Things couldn't be better you-"

Suddenly, Aqualad grabbed my face between his hands. I thought for a moment he was going to kiss me. But he just forced my face to look straight into his. "Cut the crap Speedy! Something's wrong when you won't even look at me!" He said, his face determined and a frown on his lips.

I had to force myself not to act on my desire to place my lips on his at that exact moment. _WHAT! _What was going on? I had to get out of there.

I knocked his hands away. "I have to go…" I said, and got up from the couch and tore from the room. I didn't know where I was going until I found myself in the tower's hangar. I made a split-second decision. I ran to our T-Ship and threw open the door to the main pod, jumping in quickly. I set the coordinates in seconds. Titans West Tower.

_Well, what'd you think? I think it turned out pretty well! I especially like the tickle fight! :) Shut up Aqualad, it is too flirty! Thanks for reading!_


	4. The First Talk

_I know I already updated today, but I just polished off this chapter and wanted to post it. I know it's pretty short, but I thought the end was a good place to stop it. Tell me what you think! _

_P.S. It's slightly edited from the original, nothing much, but I feel like it gels a little better now._

_DISCLAIMER: Teen Titans is not my property. _

Oh God. Oh God. What was going on with me? I really wanted to _kiss_ Aqualad! _Aqualad_! My heart was pounding in my throat, and I thought I was going to be sick. But I tried to calm myself down. I was out of there. I was headed to the other side of the country. I would be OK. Oh God. I wanted to _kiss Aqualad!_

After about half an hour of internal freak-out mode, I checked the GPS on the ship. I was flying over Kansas. I had another twenty minutes before I got to Titans West Tower. What was I going to do there? _"Oh, hey everybody! I think I might be turning gay for Aqualad, so I came here so you guys could help me out!" _Yeah, that would turn out amazingly. _Why_ was I going there? Who was I gonna talk to? Raven? Too creepy. I shuddered at the thought of being alone with her in her room.

Starfire? She wouldn't understand. Robin? He'd probably tell me that he had more important work to do. Hmmm…Cyborg? Maybe… But he'd probably be too chill about it. Which left… Beast Boy. He'd probably crack a couple of jokes at first, but maybe he'd get it. Maybe. I just needed to talk to _someone_.

When I was in range of Titan's Tower, I radioed in to inform them of my arrival. Robin OK'd my entry, looking a little confused when he noticed I was alone. But, being his normal Robin-like self, he didn't ask any questions about it. I steered the ship into the hangar, and hopped out quickly. I made my way into the living room of the tower, and, to my relief, saw Beast Boy on the couch playing some video games. Alone.

I didn't just walk over right away. Oh no, I was way too stressed and nervous to do that. Instead I stood in the doorway for nearly five minutes, wondering about how to get Beast Boy somewhere private. Direct approach? Subtle suggestions? Maybe I should collapse and have Beast Boy take me to the infirmary. _What did I just think? _I was Speedy! Always cool, always confident, sometimes egotistical, but always lovable. I just had to do it. I took a deep breath, and left the doorway.

I walked over to where he was sitting, and he glanced at me. "Speedy! What's up dude? Wanna play? It's been a while since I last creamed you at this game," said Beast Boy, his eyes now transfixed on the screen and his thumbs moving the joysticks expertly.

"Actually, Beast Boy, I was wondering if… we could talk," I said, rubbing the back of my head nervously.

"Dude, we're talking right now," Beast Boy said, still preoccupied with his game. Typical Beast Boy. I know he's not _stupid_. But he can be pretty oblivious.

"Um…" I said, not sure how to explain what I wanted. "I was hoping we could talk…alone. Somewhere quiet?"

Beast Boy put the game on pause and looked at me curiously. Honestly, it wasn't often we had heart-to-hearts. "Um…sure, dude. We can talk in my room," he said, putting the controller down. He slowly got up from the couch, and motioned for me to follow him. We walked down the hall until we reached a door with "Beast Boy" printed on it in stark black lettering. He opened it and walked in.

The first thing that hit me was the smell. How Beast Boy could sleep in a place like that, I'll never know. My eyes watered as I walked in. Why, oh why, didn't I pick Cyborg? Computers don't smell! I looked around the room, my eyes taking in the clutter lying around the floor. Shoes, dirty socks, video game cartridges, a pair of nail clippers, and…was that _underwear_? I swallowed, and managed to choke out, "When did you last clean this place?"

"What month is it, July? I think Star made me clean it in…February?" Beast Boy told me, grinning at my reaction to the room. He must have built up an immunity or something. "But…what did you want to talk about?" he asked, lying down and stretching on his bed, which couldn't have been made any time in the last month. And I thought Mas and Menos were messy.

I leaned up against the door to his room, crossing my arms. "Well…it's complicated…" I said, looking down at the floor.

"Complicated how?" Beast Boy replied.

"It has to do with…Aqualad," I said, after a very long pause.

"What about Aqualad?" Beast Boy questioned, sitting up to look at me.

"IthinkImightlikehim," I mumbled, very quickly.

Beast Boy's long ears perked up, and he stared at me. "Um…could you repeat that? I'm not sure what I just heard…" he said.

"I think… I might like him?" I answered, almost in the form of a question, my voice teetering off at the end.

For a moment, Beast Boy simply stared at me. Then he began to laugh. Really hard. I went a deep scarlet, and looked away from him. I had expected this to be his first reaction, but it was still embarrassing. Beast Boy, however, was laughing too hard to notice anything. He banged his fists on his bed, and eventually rolled onto the floor clutching his stomach. After nearly two minutes, when I was just about ready to shoot one of my boxing glove arrows at him and see how funny he found _that_, he stopped laughing.

"Wow, Speedy. Good one. You almost had me there, dude!" He stood up to offer me a high-five. When I didn't deliver, he noticed my still red face, and the way my knees were shaking with nerves.

"Oh. You…were serious?" Beast Boy said, sounding like the one who was embarrassed this time. Then he started laughing again. Thankfully, it was for a much shorter time than before. "So…Speedy…you're…_you're_ gay?" he said, snorting.

I responded immediately. "No! I mean…I don't think so! I've never…I don't know!" I threw my hands in the air as I finished talking, and then slid down the door to the floor. Beast Boy, surprisingly, sat down next to me and put a hand on my shoulder, all traces of laughter gone from his face.

"Hey, dude, it's OK. I mean…I can't say I understand, because I don't, but I'm here for you," he said, a comforting smile on his face.

"It's just…I've never liked a guy before. I don't think about _guys_. It's just Aqualad," I tried to explain. I dared to look, at Beast Boy who looked confused.

"So then…you don't find me totally sexy?" Beast Boy asked, a grin forming on his face.

"BB, you're like ten. That would make me, like, a pedophile," I said, grinning right back.

"Hey! I'm thirteen! And my birthday is in less than two months, so—" Beast Boy insisted, trying to make a pouty face.

"Yeah, yeah, can it small fry," I teased, smirking. I ruffled Beast Boy's hair and he slapped my hand away, laughing.

"So, when did all of this start?" Beast Boy asked.

"Actually it was today. Which is why I'm so nervous—" I started to explain.

"Wait. You fell in love with Aqualad _in one day?_ I know they call you Speedy, but…_dude_!" Beast Boy joked.

I elbowed him, ignoring his small "Ow!", and continued. "I never said I was in love with him! But… I don't know…. So as I was saying, this morning, well more like this evening, I started to feel different around Aqualad. First I kinda accidentally insulted him about being gay, and then—"

Beast Boy interrupted once again. "Wait a second. Aqualad is gay too? What is up with your team?" Beast Boy asked, grinning his fang-toothed grin and raising his eyebrows at me.

"You know, BB, you're a really bad listener. Maybe I should just go talk to Raven…" I said, pretending to get up as I smiled.

"No! I'm listening!" Beast Boy said hurriedly, pulling me back down. He seemed eager to prove himself as mature and reliable. Yeah right.

"OK, then. No more interruptions?" I asked him.

He nodded, and, miraculously, stayed quiet while I explained the night's events. I filled him in on everything, becoming more and more worried about the whole thing as I had to recall everything that had happened. When I got to wanting to kiss Aqualad, I stopped. "And then…I just had to get out of there. So, I came here," I finished, after a brief pause.

Beast Boy sat there for a few moments, his face bearing an expression of deep thought (now there's something you don't see every day). Then he looked at me, and said (rather calmly for the usually hyperactive teen), "Why don't you just tell Aqualad how you feel? He's your best friend. Don't you think he deserves to know?"

Maybe, if I had been thinking rationally, I would have reconsidered the option that I had, of course, already thought about. But I was not thinking rationally. I was freaking out about the whole thing. So, I got angry. Always a great idea, right? "DON'T YOU THINK I'VE THOUGHT OF THAT?" I yelled, standing up to tower over Beast Boy. If it had been a cartoon there would have been fire behind me and I would have had huge sharp teeth. Sharp enough to bite Beast Boy's head off and spit it to the moon.

Beast Boy cowered under my fiery gaze. He raised a finger and said timidly, "But…but…why don't you just do it?"

I turned away from him, my hands holding my head in frustration. "Beast Boy! I can't…just tell him! That would…ruin everything! Besides, I'm not gay! I don't want a boyfriend!" I spat. I tried to calm myself down with deep breathing, but it wasn't working. In fact, it only seemed to heighten my feelings of panic.

I was getting really upset. I had to find an outlet. I needed something to take my mind off of my problem. I looked at Beast Boy, trying to feign a smile, and said, "Wanna play a video game?"

"Always man!" Beast Boy yelled excitedly, before jumping in the air. "Bet I can beat you there!" He took off in the direction of the living room. I sighed before exiting of the room as well. Maybe if I could just forget about it… Maybe…

_So what'd you think? I kinda liked it, kinda didn't. Thanks for reading!_


	5. Glark Hoodle Thog Day

_Hey! Sorry I didn't update yesterday! Or I guess…today…since it's technically the 5__th__ right now. Anyway, I finished this chapter. It's super short, I know, but expect Chapter 6 really soon!_

_DISCLAIMER: *Sigh* I'm getting tired of these. Teen Titans isn't mine blah blah all rights belong to Warner Bros. blah blah who doesn't already know this blah blah. _

_Onto the story!_

_Strong Punch. Light Punch. High Kick. Grab. Triple-Combo. Low Kick. Low Kick. Ultra Combo._ My fingers expertly hit the buttons on the gamepad as I glared at the television with an intensity that would have been a real problem if I had heat vision. So far, my plan was working. By focusing every fiber of my mind on the video game I was playing, I wasn't thinking about Aqualad at all. Or anything else for that matter. The result was a ten-match winning streak against my green-skinned opponent, who had begun to silently weep as I demolished him time after time.

After the fifteenth match, which ended with a booming "PERFECT!" from the in-game announcer on my part, Beast Boy called it quits. He then waved and headed to bed, yawning as he walked. I checked my watch, subtracted three hours, and saw it was almost 10:30. Was I going to go back to Steel City? Or stay the night here? I knew which one I preferred, and I also knew which one was practical. But seeing as I hadn't gotten any calls on my communicator from Aqualad or Bumblebee, maybe they weren't worried about me at all.

I took my communicator out and saw that I had deactivated it. Crap. Bee and Aqualad wouldn't be happy about that. Not at all. I must have turned it off when I got into the T-Ship, so upset I didn't even notice it. I reactivated it, and saw that I had received more than thirty missed transmissions. More than ten from Aqualad, almost as many from Bee, and a couple from Titans' East main line. The last few from Aqualad had been labeled as "EMERGENCY" transmissions, and all of Bee's had been labeled as such.

Who to call… Bee would undoubtedly be furious with me, and Aqualad would probably be pretty miffed as well. But worse, he would probably ask what had happened to make me leave at that moment. After all, it would seem like I was scared of him, wouldn't it? Just bolting out of the room and out of _the state_ when he was only trying to talk to me? I sighed heavily. I seemed to be sighing a lot lately.

After switching between Aqualad and Bumblebee on the communicator for a few minutes, I clicked on Bee's icon, and braced for the coming tidal wave. I didn't brace enough. The moment her face appeared on the screen of the compact communicator, you could see the fury in her face. Her eyes were open wide, her mouth contorted into a scowl. Then she started to yell. Her voice practically exploded out of the device in my hand, and I almost fell off of the couch. I was more than a little surprised the speakers didn't overload with all the noise they had to reproduce. "SPEEDY? WELL IT'S ABOUT TIME! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? I CAN'T….WHY WOULD YOU….AAUGH!" Bee seemed so furious that words couldn't express her feelings. She took a deep breath, and put her hand on her forehead.

"Speedy… I'm going to ask you calmly. What are you doing? Why haven't you called us in hours? Why are you on THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUNTRY?" Bee asked, her voice growing from a calm monotone to a yell in seconds. She put her face so close to the screen that I thought I could see a vein pulsing in her temple.

I stuttered out something that sounded a bit like "pie for sale" if you listened carefully. "What? What did you say?" Bee asked me, looking bewildered. She had backed off from the screen and now had her eyebrows raised and her hands on her hips, her lips in a solid frown. I tried to speak again, but no sound came out. Even I didn't know why. I wasn't sure if it was because I was still trying to get over the shock of Bee's previous screaming or because I couldn't bear to say anything about Aqualad. Maybe I was making some sound, but was temporarily too deaf to hear myself.

Whatever happened, Bee shook her head and cupped her head in her hands. "Speedy… You told me everything was fine between you and Aqualad. I got back from shopping and he came to me in frenzy. He was shouting about you and the T-Ship and something about a movie and then he just started crying. He completely broke down. _In front of me_. He just fell to the floor, crying. I sat with him for an hour before he left for his room. And you want to know what he told me during that hour Speedy?" Bee explained, ending her explanation with a question.

I didn't really want to know what he told her. Probably about how I'm such a vicious homophobe and how I'm terrified of him. I didn't say anything to Bee, but I guess the question was rhetorical anyway. "Nothing, Speedy. He didn't say a word to me. For a whole hour. He just sat there, sobbing. I don't know what happened, but I need to. What's going on?" Bee asked me.

Lie. Think up a really good one and just _lie._ "Umm…well…the truth is…I came over here to talk to Raven…about Starfire. Because…well…I have a crush on her," I lied through my teeth.

"And that forced you to fly to Titans Tower at nearly eleven at night why?"

"Because I remembered that tomorrow is Starfire's favorite Tamaranian holiday…um…Glark-Hoodle Thog…day," I finished lamely. It wasn't a very good lie, and it might eventually get me into more trouble than it got me out of, but I just needed Bee off my back. I could try to tie up loose ends later. "I had to talk to Raven about what present I needed to get her. It's very specific," I said, my speech becoming a little more fluid.

"So…you left the tower to talk to Raven about a present you need to buy Starfire for tomorrow, which happens to be an alien holiday…So…you really like Starfire that much? Because I've never heard you talk about her," Bee replied. She didn't sound disbelieving, just curious.

"Oh…well…that's because I was really embarrassed about it. Starfire's got 'Robin-lover' written all over her. It's kinda silly to like her, don't you think?" I asked, trying my best to look a little embarrassed. I was playing with my hair and looking away from Bee. I thought I was acting pretty convincing.

Bee crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows again, looking as though she had about a dozen more questions. Surprisingly, though, she sighed and said "I just have one more question. Why didn't you just explain this to Aqualad before you took off? And why did you ignore our calls?"

I tried to break the tension a little by saying, "That's technically two questions Bee. Which do you want me to answer?" I smiled as I said it, hoping it looked real enough.

Bee smiled weakly, and made a hand gesture that clearly said "Just answer the questions" (not the gesture you might be thinking of).

"Well…I got so distracted about forgetting the whole thing that I just tore out of the place. I was flying over the Atlantic for a few minutes before I realized I was going the wrong way. So, I didn't mean to. I'm really sorry. I'll explain to Aqualad tomorrow. I think I'll stay the night here. I'm really tired," I said, throwing in another few lies smoothly. I was getting a little too comfortable with lying to my teammate.

"Well…Speedy…I don't agree with your judgment, or whatever didn't click with you tonight, but from now on, just make sure we're kept up-to-date, please?" She requested, her voice holding a note of desperation. I nodded, and she ended the transmission. I yawned, and stretched. I definitely was not going back to Steel tonight.

As I walked to a place to crash, I had some very strange late-night thoughts. Wow. I really can be a jerk. A really sexy jerk, but still a jerk. Aqualad's not a jerk. But he's sexy. Oh, yes. No! _Bad Speedy! Bad Speedy!_

I slept in one of the Tower's guest rooms that night, and suffice it to say, my dreams weren't pleasant. Not at all. Except for that one with Aqualad and a giant tub of whipped cream. That one wasn't too bad.

_There was some solid stuff here and some not so solid stuff. What'd you think? Was the lie too unbelievable? I don't know. Definitely not my favorite chapter. I'll probably re-post with edits later on! Thanks for reading!_


	6. This Can't Be Good

_I'm so sorry I didn't update in the last few days! I've been struggling with some writer's block with this chapter! Hopefully I've made up for it by making it nice and long! Thanks for being patient!_

_DISCLAIMER: Teen Titans is not mine, nor will it ever be. That is, unless I become a mega-millionaire and buy the rights to the show from Warner Bros. and… you know. Then it would be mine._

I woke up early. Early for me, that is. It must have been around nine. Unless we have a mission, the world doesn't see my face until well past eleven. But upon waking, I felt sick. Sick to my stomach. As the nausea bubbled over, I was hit hard with the previous day's events. It was hard to believe it had happened in one day. In less than twenty-four hours, everything had been flipped upside-down. I never had been good with roller coasters.

For a moment, I thought I was about to vomit. But then, as quickly as it came, it was gone. My head was still reeling from the suddenness of it all, but I had to get out of the tower. I got out of bed and made straight for the tower's hangar, but before I could get there, I heard someone yell, "Speedy!" And it wasn't Beast Boy, or even Cyborg.

Surprised, I turned around and saw Raven striding toward me, her blue cloak flapping behind her as she walked, her face serious. She stopped, a good distance away from me, but not so far as to where I couldn't see and hear her very clearly. Before I could say anything, Raven raised a hand.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, something was different. The cold indifference or impatience or irritation that was so often found in those dark orbs was gone. It was replaced by what looked like…understanding? Kindness? Maybe, even, a flash of pity?

"Speedy. I know," she said, calmly and matter-a-factly, her hand now back at her side.

"You know about what?" I asked, feigning a look of bemusement. She knew? About Aqualad? But how could she? Beast Boy couldn't have— Beast Boy wouldn't have— _She knew?_

"Yes, Speedy. I know. Nobody told me. I just…when you have powers like mine… Strong emotions and thoughts… they just float right in. I'm sorry that it happened. I didn't meditate for very long yesterday, so it's mostly my fault, and—" Raven began, her eyes looking away as she continued. Her brows were creased, and she was biting her lip. She looked truly apologetic. I had rarely seen her face feature any expression other than disapproval or the ever-indecipherable "Raven Stare".

I interrupted her before she could explain further. I had to know if she really _knew_. "Raven…are we talking about what I think we're talking about?"

"Yes. It's about Aqualad. I know practically everything. It was all I could do to get any sleep last night, with those dreams of yours. And the feelings. They're very strong, you know. Panic. Worry. Caring. Lust…" Raven trailed off as she said the last word, noticing my face growing pinker with every word she spoke.

My mouth had formed a small "o", and I didn't say anything for a while. Raven, however, must have been comfortable with silence, for she didn't move or attempt to break it. She stood still as a statue, gazing into my eyes.

"I…I don't know what to say, Raven. Thanks for telling me, I guess? You…you won't tell anyone will you?" I said, the last few words coming out very quickly and nervously.

Raven shook her head. "There is one more thing I want to tell you, Speedy. I have…a feeling…everything will turn out OK," she told me, smiling a small smile. She actually came up to me and gave me a small hug. I was so shocked that I didn't return it in time. She didn't seem surprised or upset by it, though.

"OK, Raven. I'll…I'll see you around," I said rather lamely, still at a loss for what to say.

She simply nodded, and turned to go, as did I. Before either of us had gotten very far, however, I heard Raven say, "Oh, and about last night. That was a very _interesting_ dream, Speedy. I didn't know whipped cream had so many…_unique_ purposes."

I was glad she couldn't see my face, because it had just become so hot you could have fried eggs on it.

***SCENE CHANGE***

I walked through the doors to our tower's living room/kitchen, and I saw that it was empty. It was a little past one, so everybody should have been awake by then. Hmmm… Maybe they were on a mission? But wouldn't they have called me? Well, maybe I should just relax and watch some TV. Or maybe practice my archery. Yeah, archery practice sounded good.

I grabbed a bottled water from the fridge and made my way to the tower's training center. I set up my targets quickly and took my place behind the white line. I raised my bow, readied the arrow, and let it fly. _Bull's eye. _Again. _Bull's eye_.

I always liked shooting. It was relaxing, and after doing it for so many years, you didn't always have to think about what you were doing. So you let muscle memory do its thing, leaving you free to mull over anything that was zooming around your head. And today, the only thing of any real importance was what to do about Aqualad.

Maybe I should tell him… Beast Boy felt pretty good about it. And maybe it was the smartest thing to do. But…no. No! I couldn't do that. Just thinking about the look he would give me. Shock. Disbelief. Maybe even ridicule. And the repercussions. Would that mean I was gay? Everyone would probably see me that way. But I wasn't! "No I'm not!" I actually growled out loud. I whipped out my final arrow forcefully and, not really caring about technique or aim, readied it hurriedly and sloppily. I shot it and it flew totally off-course, missing the target completely.

I threw my bow to the ground and stomped on it. Then I ripped off my quiver and threw the empty case at the wall. I wasn't worried or upset anymore. I was just angry. Angry at the world for being so narrow-minded. Angry at Aqualad for being so… Aqualad. But most of all, I was just angry at myself for being so stupid. I just let myself fall to the ground, and lied on my back, staring at the ceiling.

"Speedy? Is that you in there?" asked a voice from outside the glass doors to the training room. I turned my head to look as I heard the doors open. It was Bee. She walked into the room with an amused smile on her lips. She came to kneel beside my head. "What are you doing down there?" she inquired.

"Nothing," I answered, which was mostly true. "Just kinda tired after a little training."

"Oh yeah, because shooting a few sticks across a room is _so_ tiring. How do you ever manage?" asked Bee, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She was in a good mood today

"Hey, archery is a noble craft. It requires patience, dedication, and—" I said, trying to defend my art, before Bee snickered and shook her head playfully.

"Whatever you say Speedy," she said. As she stood up and made to leave, she continued, "Oh, and I told Aqualad what you told me last night. He seems fine now."

This made me feel considerably better. Maybe last night would never be brought up again. Maybe it could be forgotten along with my stupid love— Wait. Love? Was it really love? Whatever.

I got up and walked over to the training room showers. The hot water made everything else go away. I stood there for a long time, just…not thinking. It was heavenly. But it couldn't last forever. Nothing ever could. Not my partnership with Green Arrow. Not my solo hero attempt. Not my friendship with Aqualad. When things seem great….they just always go wrong!

I toweled off and changed into something a little more comfortable than my uniform. A white t-shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants did the job nicely. It was only when I checked the clock to see if it was too early for me to order pizza without feeling guilty that I saw it was past three! I had been in the shower for more than an hour!

But I was hungry. Screw the time. I picked up the phone and ordered a large pepperoni. After getting the whole spiel about delivery time and refunds and blah blah blah, I hung up the phone and moved over to the sofa. Mas and Menos were busy playing a video game they had "borrowed" from Cyborg and Beast Boy. Mas and Menos loved "borrowing". They would just grab something so quickly, the owner would think they had lost it themselves. Until they got it back from Mas and Menos up to eleven months and nine days later. At least, that's their current record.

When I sat down on the couch, Mas asked me if I wanted to play. I kindly declined, tactfully failing to mention the fact that I had a pizza on the way. More than a year of living with them hadn't left me with nothing. I knew Mas and Menos could clear a box before you got your hand on the first slice. That wasn't happening today.

After watching them play for a little while, I heard the doorbell ring. I practically flew to the door, my mouth watering at the thought of the warm, cheesy goodness that awaited me. I impatiently paid the delivery boy and rushed to the kitchen. I placed the pizza box on the counter and plopped a thick slice on a plate before beginning to munch on it greedily.

"Oh, Speedy! You bought us a pizza! How sweet!" Bee said, with mock gratitude. She even clasped her hands next to her face and batted her eyelashes for effect. "Why, it would be rude if I didn't partake in a slice or two. Even though I'm already so full! You shouldn't have!"

I grumbled in response. Bee took this a "why, of course you must have some pizza" and dug right in. "But really Speedy, this is a godsend. I've just spent the last hour filing, and I'm famished but too tired to cook. I hate filing. Why do I do all the filing again?" she asked.

"Because you're our oh-so-glorious leader who we all love and respect?" I answered, smiling.

"Oh, yes. That's it. I forgot about all the groveling you're constantly doing. Why don't you refresh my memory?" Bee suggested, her blue eyes twinkling. We both chuckled softly as Aqualad walked into the room. I smiled hopefully at him. He smiled back. That made me feel a whole lot better. Still, there was something that wasn't quite right. The smile. It looked…pained? Fake. It wasn't the smile I was used to. Maybe I was imagining things.

"Hey Bee, hey Speedy," he said as he walked up to counter stools where Bee and I were seated. "Oh, looky! Pizza! Don't mind if I do!" He grabbed a slice and seated himself next to Bee. I was painfully aware of the fact that there was a seat between Bee and I that he ignored. Was I becoming paranoid? Or, worse—did I just want him closer to me?

The conversation flowed naturally, jokes and teases flying back forth, occasionally some thoughtful questions or observations were thrown into the mix, but the whole thing was decidedly light-hearted. This meant that only a moderate amount of conversation was needed to keep the talk moving. I snuck in glances at Aqualad whenever I could, and with each one I grew more and more sure that something was wrong. And of the fact that Aqualad looked adorable when he was eating pizza. But seriously, Aqualad hadn't looked at me even once, and seemed almost purposely directing most of his comments and questions towards Bumblebee. And as Bumblebee brought the conversation around to the previous night, Aqualad's eyes flashed.

"So Speedy, how was that holiday thing today? Gloodle-Thig…Glardle-Thog…whatever it was! Did Starfire like her gift?" Bee asked, leaning her head on her hand, a smug smile on her face.

I blanched. I scratched my head nervously and muttered, "Yeah it was fine…"

I chanced a look at Aqualad, and his attention was solidly on me for the first time during the whole conversation. But he made no effort to smile this time. In fact, he looked like he was scowling at me. I blinked in shock. Was he still that angry with me? I looked at Bee again and saw the confused look on her face.

"That's all we get? You disappear in the middle of the night and you come back and tell us 'it was fine'? Details! Details! Did she really, really like it? What was it anyway? Did Robin get her anything? Whose gift was better?" Bee said, her questions zipping out of her mouth like rockets.

"Hey, hey Bee. I might answer some questions. If you let us know what's going on with you and 'Sparky'." I replied, grinning as I saw her eyes grow wide.

"Um…um…it's nothing. Why would you think there's anything going on between me and Cyborg?" Bee asked, her voice higher than usual. I seemed to have touched a nerve. Success. They were sufficiently distracted. Hopefully enough for me to get out of there. Aqualad was totally weirding me Aqualad proceeded to nudge her on that topic, while I cleaned up the plates and empty pizza box. I washed and dried the plates as Bee and Aqualad continued talking. Well, it was more Aqualad teasing and Bumblebee spluttering.

I attempted to slip out of the room quietly, but Bee caught me. "Disappearing on us again, Speedy?" she accused. I turned around, my shoulders slumped. I knew I wouldn't be able to leave quite as soon as I wanted.

Bee was hovering a few inches above the ground, her hands on her hips and her eyebrows creased. Aqualad stood behind her, his arms crossed. "What is up with you? Where are you sneaking off to now?" she demanded.

"Nowhere. Just my room. I'm kind of tired…" I stated, trailing off at the end.

"Speedy, it's four in the afternoon. What's really going on?" Bumblebee responded.

"Yeah, Speedy. What _is_ going on? Are we not good enough for you anymore? Are you headed to talk to _Starfire_?" Aqualad basically spat. The last word was filled with so much venom and malice that even Bee, who was on his side at the moment, turned around to face him, concern on her face.

"Um…Aqualad? You OK?" Bee asked, a little hesitantly.

"Fine, Bee. Just peachy. I mean, who wouldn't be when their best friend runs out of the house at eleven at night to go hang out with his obviously much cooler friends, with no warning whatsoever?" Aqualad growled.

"Aqualad, you know I don't think they're cooler than you guys! I told you why I left! It was—" I tried to defend myself, but was cut off.

"Oh, yes! How could I forget? The perfect girl! My best friend left me alone in the tower so he could buy a present for _his stupid crush_! That makes everybody feel like a million bucks!" Aqualad exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were jealous," I said, an eyebrow raised and a smirk plastered across my face. Maybe I said it because I felt guilty. Maybe I said it to change the topic quickly. Or maybe I said it because I secretly wished it were true. Whatever the reason, the expression on Aqualad's face told me it was the wrong thing to say. _Dead wrong._

"JEALOUS? I'm jealous now! As if! In fact, I _pity_ her. She has the misfortune of being liked by someone like _you_, Speedy. Someone so pig-headed, egotistical, self-obsessed, inconsiderate, homophobic, irrational…AUGH!" Aqualad shouted at me, his finger pointed at my chest. I noticed he had gotten a lot closer to me in his tirade. Bee just floated there, her jaw practically brushing the floor. Her shoulders sagged and her whole frame drooped as she hovered there in absolute shock.

I wasn't much better. These feelings. This anger. These names. I had never seen Aqualad lose control like this.

"I'm done! I'm done caring about a jerk like you!" he yelled, actually stabbing his finger into my chest.

_Caring. Did he mean that he—_

"I really thought we were friends. But the lying? The way you acted when we were together? The way you wouldn't look at me? The way you _ran away_? Yes, Speedy, I know," Aqualad said, his voice wavering as tears started to pour down his cheeks.

"I called Starfire this morning. She told me the holiday you mentioned isn't freaking real! It was a damn lie! And Robin told me you never went out to buy anything. You didn't even _talk_ to Starfire! Another lie! You just left to get away from me! Why else would you have left? There was no one else here! You just flew out of the room when I asked you what was going on! I was trying to do what best friends are supposed to do. Are you really such a bigot? Do I mean that little to you?" Aqualad hollered at me. The last two questions were actually questions. His deep violet eyes bored into mine, searching for an answer.

I wanted to kiss him then more than I've ever wanted to do anything in my entire life. Maybe it would have fixed everything. But I was scared. I was a coward. And I looked away.

I heard a small sob escape Aqualad's mouth before he pushed me to the side with so much force that I flew over the countertop. Aqualad was gone long before I managed to get up, and Bumblebee was still looking like she had just watched her mother die in a fire along with a hundred kittens and five newborn babies.

Then, she shook her head vigorously, as if to come back to reality. Then, she glared at me so fiercely my eyes hurt looking at her.

"I'm in trouble, aren't I?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"You have _no idea_."

_Thanks for reading! I actually liked this chapter! What'd you think? Was it worth the wait? I know it's a cliffy, but everybody's right! They are fun!_


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